Not So Happily Ever After
by manicinsomniac94
Summary: My version of the end of season 3. This is the first installment. Things fall apart for more or less everyone!


"It's over Kaylie." "I'm out." "It's all your fault." "I trusted you and now I'm out."

Austin's words rang in Kaylie's ears as she sat on his empty bed in his empty room. Her framed journal entry, the physical manifestation of her love for him, was gripped tightly in her hands, her eyes gazing through it unseeingly. How had this happened? Austin was her rock. They had been through so much together. And now he was gone. And she was left. Alone. Curling up on the bed, which still smelt faintly of Austin, Kaylie broke down, sobbing hysterically into his pillow.

After what seemed an age she sat up. Her head was thumping and her face was stiff with crying. Her eyes fell on the cake she had brought as an apology gift for Austin. She wasn't hungry but she was hollow; her insides burning and aching with emptiness. Slowly she unwrapped the cake and nibbled the edge of the chocolate icing. Kaylie hadn't tasted chocolate in a long time. It felt good, numbing and soothing the pain inside her. She began to eat, slowly at first then faster and faster until she was cramming the cake into her mouth, swallowing without chewing and almost choking.

It took a minute or two for her senses to return. Horrified, Kaylie stared at herself in the small mirror above Austin's bed. Her eyes were red and swollen, mascara ran in streaks down her cheeks, there was chocolate around her mouth and crumbs all over her crumpled team USA jacket. Letting out a disgusted cry Kaylie bolted into the bathroom, forced three fingers down her throat and vomited over and over again until her throat was raw and her head spinning. Exhausted she lay down on the cool tiled floor of the bathroom. She vowed she would never eat again.

The irritating beeps of her friend's alarm clock dragged Payson Keeler from her sleep. "Kaylie, turn it off, it's 5.30 in the morning," she moaned sleepily, burrowing deeper under her bedclothes. Defiantly, the alarm clock beeped louder. Groaning Payson sat up and looked over to her roommate's bed. It was empty and neatly made. Payson turned off the alarm and went out into the kitchen, just as the apartment door opened and Kaylie came in.

"Kaylie? Where have you been? Your horrible little alarm clock woke me up."

Kaylie jumped and arranged an apologetic smile on her strained face. "Oh. Sorry Pay, I thought I'd turned it off. I just went out for a run before practice."

"At this time? Are you …" Payson broke of as she looked more closely at Kaylie's face. "Kaylie, are you ok? Have you been crying?"

"Crying? No? It's windy out there, that's all."

"But …"

"Just leave it Payson, I'm going to take a shower".

Kaylie turned the temperature dial on the shower up as far as it would go, welcoming the pain of the boiling hot water drops stinging her skin. She stared down at her body and her mind recoiled in horror. How had she let herself get so big? In Kaylie's troubled mind her petite, athletic frame was swelling, fat deposits appearing around her stomach and thighs and her upper arms wobbling with imaginary flesh. She closed her eyes and sat down underneath the streams of water. She was in no hurry to move; at least in here nobody could see her cry.

"Daddy! Summer!" cried Lauren, greeting the two with a cheery smile. "Did you speak to my doctor yet? What did he say? Did the surgery work? Can I train again? When?"

"Lauren, honey, slow down," said her father Steve whose face, though smiling, clearly showed the strain of the past few days. "Your surgery went well. Really well. But sweetie, you can't realistically expect to be training for at least another month. It was still major surgery."

"A month! I can't wait that long. I'll miss out on the final cut for the Olympics. Daddy, you have to make it happen sooner, you have to!" Lauren tried to get out of bed but was prevented by Summer, whose motherly arms went around Lauren and held her as she cried. "Your life is so much more important Lauren. One day you'll realise that. You'll ind something else to live for, I promise you"

The door slammed behind Wendy as she bounced into the apartment that evening. "Did you hear?", she asked, in a voice that tried to sound tragic but failed to disguise the glee she was feeling. "Lauren isn't going to make the final trials, she has to rest for a whole month."

"Yes, we know, Wendy. And you don't have to try and sound sad about it. We know what you're like now and, believe me, you're doing yourself no favours." Payson got up from the sofa and stormed into her room, closely followed by Kaylie. "I just can't believe it's all over for her Kay," said Payson with tears in her eyes. "We've come so far, the three of us. How can it end like this for her?"

"Because life's a bitch," replied Kaylie shortly, throwing herself down on her bed and closing her eyes. "I don't believe in happy endings any more Payson. Expect nothing and you won't be disappointed."


End file.
